A number of present day electronic components utilized, for example, in computer systems, generate large amounts of heat. These components, such as microprocessors and associated components are typically encapsulated in plastic or ceramic from which a plurality of leads extend. The integrated circuit (IC) is mounted to a printed circuit board either by direct soldering or through a connector which is soldered to the printed circuit board. In a typical personal computer system, a processor, which in most cases in current systems is a high speed processor which generates a great deal of heat, is mounted on a printed circuit board known as a motherboard, along with a plurality of other components that support the processor such as memory circuits. Also contained within the personal computer housing are additional circuits or circuit boards such as video cards, facsimile-modem cards, etc. The housing may also contain a power supply, supplying power to all of the various components.
It is desirable to have a high rate of heat transfer from the IC package in order to maintain junction temperatures within the IC inside safe operating limits. As noted, modern microprocessors typically employ millions of transistors in internal circuitry that requires some type of cooling mechanism to avoid excessive junction temperatures that may affect the performance of the circuit and can cause permanent degradation of the device. This is a particularly difficult problem in the design of computer system enclosures which have a small form factor such as laptop and notebook computers. However, heat removal also can constitute a problem in other types of systems which have high power profile components located within a small form factor or thin profile electronic device.
Aside from the possibility of affecting the performance of the circuits in the IC and degradation of those circuits, high heat generating components which are located within consumer electronic devices, such as laptop computers, can create hot spots at certain locations along the external casing of the devices. These hot spots can be uncomfortable to touch and may even cause burns. This is a further reason for conducting heat away from these hot spots and cooling the components generating them to avoid injury to users.
Prior art methods used to remove heat from heat generating components located within the confines of a computer enclosure include the simple attachment of finned-heat sinks; the development of finned-heat sinks with intricate fins; the use of large flat heat spreading plates to which an IC is directly or indirectly attached; and the thermal coupling of the integrated circuit to a heat spreading plate by a heat pipe or other low resistance thermal path. However, these prior art methods do not provide sufficient heat removal capacity and/or efficiency needed to cool current and future high performance microprocessors and other high heat generating devices in portable general purpose or other thin profile electronic devices.